Ryan Conwell is making noise early in the NBA, and he’s doing it in a way that should make the Miami Heat feel even better about what they found this offseason.
In Wednesday’s 144-128 preseason win over the Nets, the former Louisville guard kept showing exactly why he can matter right away. Conwell scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 3-of-4 from 3-point range, while also adding two rebounds, one assist and two steals. Through the preseason, he’s averaging 13.7 points per game.
That kind of production matters for a Heat team built around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Miami traded for Antetokounmpo this offseason, landing the two-time MVP, 9-time All-NBA selection, 10-time All-Star and NBA 75th anniversary team member. With that kind of frontcourt power, the Heat need clean shooting around the edges, and Conwell has been giving them that look.
Antetokounmpo made it clear afterward that he sees a real future for Conwell in the league.
“He’s a good player," stated Antetokounmpo on Conwell. "Very good player.
Coachable. Makes the right play and he’s going to have a great future in this league, I’m excited to play with him.”
Conwell’s track record at Louisville backs up the kind of shooting he’s flashing now. He averaged 18.8 points there and hit 112 3s that season. Over his final three college seasons, he made at least 99 3s each year, including his sophomore and junior seasons when he shot 40 percent or higher from deep.
The preseason matchup also gave Louisville fans a familiar sight: former Cardinals teammates going head-to-head for the first time in their careers. Mikel Brown Jr. made his Nets debut and scored 15 points in 18 minutes, showing why he was taken No. 6 overall. On the other side, Conwell kept making his case that he can be more than just a camp standout.
Now the next step is the real one. Conwell is expected to fight for minutes and try to become a useful bench piece, and his first official NBA game is set for the road against the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Wednesday, October 21.
In Other News...
Duke Is The ACC Favorite Again But The Pressure Just Changed
Duke is back atop the ACC preseason conversation after the leagues 2026-27 poll gave the Blue Devils 45 of 48 first-place votes, a reminder of how quickly the conference tends to circle back to Durham when the roster talent looks overwhelming. Virginia landed second in the voting, and the Cavaliers also had the leagues top individual nod in forward Thijs De Ridder, who was named ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
For Louisville and everyone else in the conference, the headline is less about the ranking itself than the familiar target it puts on Duke before a league game has even been played. The Blue Devils also collected the ACCs preseason rookie honor for freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, adding another layer to a roster that will be judged against expectations from day one. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Offense Faces One Syracuse Weakness That Could Change Everything
Syracuses defense has taken a real step forward under first-year coordinator Vince Kehres, who arrived from Toledo and has helped clean up a unit that has been steadier across the board. The Orange have gotten solid play in pass defense and from the linebacker group, with Keyshawn Johnson, Tunmise Adeleye, Chris DAppolonia and Antoine Deslauriers all part of the improved look.
Still, there is at least one area Louisville can study closely before lining up against them. Safety Chris Peal has had coverage issues, particularly when opponents challenge him deep, and that sort of vulnerability can change how an offense attacks even a defense that has otherwise been sound. For the Cardinals, identifying where to test Syracuse could be the difference between a routine afternoon and a much bigger night. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Can Make A Statement In The ACC's Week 7 QB Debate
Week 6 gave the ACC another shakeup at quarterback, with Californias Jackson Brousseau turning in one of the stronger outings around the league and Syracuse having to turn to Malachi Nelson because of injury. Those kinds of developments have become part of the weekly rhythm in a conference where the quarterback conversation can change fast, and the latest review of the leagues passers reflects that uncertainty as much as it does the big-play production.
Now the focus shifts to Week 7 and a fresh round of matchups that could reshape the standings in the ACC quarterback debate again. The updated top-eight ranking entering the new week sets up a familiar kind of pressure test, with Miami among the teams positioned to make the kind of statement that lingers beyond one Saturday and forces another recalibration at the top. [Read more 🡒]